Guwahati | A record 85.64 per cent of the 2.50 crore electorate exercised their franchise in the Assam assembly elections on Thursday, with the ruling BJP asserting that the high turnout was 'historic', and the opposition Congress contending that it indicated ''vote for change''.
Voting in the single-phase polls for 126 constituencies commenced at 7 am and concluded at 5 pm.
The 85.64-per cent turnout, expected to rise further, is the highest since 2016 when 84.72 per cent of the electorate had voted, with the BJP coming to power, and 82.04 per cent in the 2021 polls, held amid the Covid pandemic.
Both the BJP and opposition Congress claimed that the high turnout is to their advantage, and thanked voters for coming out in such large numbers.
The BJP-led NDA is seeking a third consecutive term in power, while the Congress is striving to reclaim a state it lost a decade ago.
A total of 722 candidates are in the fray for the elections, which is largely witnessing a direct contest between the BJP-led ruling coalition and the opposition bloc helmed by the Congress.
Dalgaon recorded the highest voter turnout at 95.83 percent, while New Guwahati had the lowest at 72.10 percent.
Voting began amid heavy rain – though the skies cleared in the later part of the day – in 31,490 polling stations across 35 districts, officials said.
Sporadic incidents of poll-related violence were reported from some parts of the state, with 30 people injured and seven arrested in this connection, they said.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday described the high voter turnout as ''not ordinary but historic".
Sarma said the result of this election is “already visible – in the hope, pride, and happiness on the faces of our people”.
“What we set out to do was not merely fight an election, but to turn it into a movement – a movement to protect our civilisational values, our culture, and our land,” he said in a post on X.
“Today, for the first time, our people have come out in unprecedented numbers – voting shoulder to shoulder, matching and even surpassing our opponents in turnout. In many polling booths, participation is crossing 95 per cent. This is not ordinary. This is historic,” the CM asserted.
Sarma said Assam has risen above language and caste, and "our people have voted with one clear resolve – to protect our land, our identity, and our culture from illegal infiltration and demographic aggression".
“This is not just an election. This is a watershed moment in Assam’s history,” he said.
Sarma added that the message is loud and clear: ''Assam will not surrender, Assam will fight, Assam will survive, Assam will endure.''
Assam Pradesh Congress President Gaurav Gogoi, in a statement, thanked the people for turning out in unprecedented numbers to vote for a “change” in the state.
The people of Assam voted with the hope of a "New Bor-Asom" (New and Greater Assam) and new leadership, Gogoi said.
''It is now the responsibility of the Election Commission to ensure the security of the EVMs and to conduct an accurate vote count on May 4," he said.
The poll percentage in 19 constituencies, mostly in minority-dominated areas, have already crossed the 90 per cent mark, while 92 are in the range of 80-89 per cent and the remainder fall in the 70-79 per cent category, the officials said.
The incidents of violence were reported from Patharkandi constituency, when Congress candidate Kartik Sena Sinha allegedly entered the Rangamati polling booth and started an argument with the presiding officer. Following this, supporters of Congress and the BJP started a fight, police said.
In the clash, around 25 people were injured, and the condition of two are serious while in another inciden, Apr 9 (PTI) t, three leaders of the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) were injured in a skirmish with BJP supporters at Khowang constituency in Dibrugarh district, they said.
Besides, incidents of minor clashes have also been reported in polling booths across several districts after voting began in the morning, with people suffering minor injuries.
Most of the clashes took place due to heavy rush, with people trying to break the queue, while at some polling booths, supporters of the ruling and opposition parties exchanged blows, but the police present at the spot brought the situation under control, the officials said.
Among the heavyweight candidates are Sarma, Gogoi, AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal and Raijor Dal leader Akhil Gogoi.
The Congress has fielded the highest number of candidates at 99, followed by the BJP with 90. The AIUDF has 30 candidates, while NDA constituents Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People's Front (BPF) are contesting 26 and 11 seats, respectively.
In the opposition bloc, the Raijor Dal is contesting 13 seats, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) 10, CPI(M) three and the APHLC two. Other parties in the fray include AAP (18), UPPL (18), TMC (22), JMM (16), besides 258 Independents.
Chief Electoral Officer Anurag Goel expressed gratitude to all for their active participation and cooperation, “which contributed significantly to the successful conduct of polling”.
The presence of a large number of people at polling booths even after 5 pm reflects the public awareness and enthusiasm towards voting, he said.
